Pride International has named the four new ultra-deepwater drillships it has under construction. With delivery of the first ship scheduled for early 2010, the company is naming the new vessels after major subsea features that occur in some of the deepest areas of the oceans.

Louis A. Raspino, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pride International, commented, "These new drillships are a key element of Pride's transformation to a premier floating rig company. Once operational, they will offer leading-edge capabilities required for accessing an increasing number of deepwater geologic structures."

The drillships and anticipated delivery are as follows:

Deep Ocean Ascension (formerly PS1) -- First Quarter 2010 Deep Ocean Clarion (formerly PS2) -- Third Quarter 2010 Deep Ocean Mendocino (formerly PS3) -- First Quarter 2011 Deep Ocean Molokai (formerly PS4) -- Fourth Quarter 2011

Capable of working in water depths of up to 12,000 feet, the first three ships have been contracted by BP (Deep Ocean Ascension and Deep Ocean Clarion) and Petrobras (Deep Ocean Mendocino).

Tags: Pride International